Turnaround Specialist Launches WhiteCap Group, Providing Consulting Services to Media, Entertainment and other Businesses

Usher Winslett, a long-time entertainment industry executive and attorney and a turnaround specialist, has recently left his position as Chief Operating Officer of DCN (Digital Club Network) to form WhiteCap Group, LLC, a consulting business, with particular focus on media and entertainment companies. Winslett successfully led DCN through the collapse of the Internet economy, a national recession, the general unraveling of the music business, September 11, the Enron backlash, rampant bankruptcies among music retailers, and even a war. According to Winslett, ... with a fluid strategy, we navigated through [those perils and came out stronger. Its that sort of experience and dedication that we at WhiteCap will use to tackle our clients most challenging business issues."

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 24, 2003 -- Usher Winslett, a long-time entertainment industry executive and attorney and a turnaround specialist, announced today that he has left his position as Chief Operating Officer of the new-technology-based music company DCN (Digital Club Network) to launch WhiteCap Group, LLC, a consulting business catering to a variety of industries, with particular focus on media and entertainment companies. In addition to designing turnaround and fund-raising strategies for start-ups and established companies, WhiteCap provides general organizational, operational, and managerial consulting services -- as well as other specialized services based on clients needs.

WhiteCap has been retained by DCN, along with digital publishing and marketing company ODIN Media Corporation, and digital music start-up Product Machine, among others. With a deep well of resources to draw on for services ranging from intensive financial modeling to marketing and sales to political lobbying at all levels of government, and everything in between, WhiteCap will provide pragmatic business and revenue-generating services to its clients," said Winslett.

Steven Masur, Product Machines attorney explains why they came to WhiteCap: "Product Machine's business model required an up-to-the-minute understanding of the music business, new music and media distribution technologies and copyright law. We retained WhiteCap Group because Usher Winslett uniquely fills those shoes. Given his distinguished careers as an attorney, and at Razor & Tie and Digital Club Network, Usher is a great lawyer and businessman who knows the music business inside and out and fully understands digital media. Whitecap Group was the perfect choice to help Product Machine launch its service. Their insights into the music, media and entertainment businesses and extensive industry contacts have already proven invaluable. We are confident that WhiteCap Group will help build the right foundation to grow Product Machine into a powerhouse."

ODINs founder Bob May adds, Ive worked with Usher Winslett in various capacities for more than six years, and Ive always been very impressed with his keen business sense and market knowledge, so I jumped at the opportunity to retain WhiteCap to help us get ODIN up and running. Their assistance in fine-tuning our business plan has been invaluable. And as we now gear up for a fund-raising push, WhiteCaps advice and contacts are critical."

During the three years that Winslett served as Chief Operating Officer of DCN, it emerged as one of the very few unequivocal success stories among the new-technology-focused entertainment companies. Under Winsletts leadership, DCN built the worlds largest catalog of live music recordings, released 20 critically and commercially successful CDs, raised millions in venture capital financing, and sustained steady and dramatic revenue growth -- all in the post-bubble economy.

The past 3 years have been the business equivalent of the 'perfect storm," notes Winslett. We were hit with the collapse of the Internet economy, a national recession, the general unraveling of the music business, September 11, the Enron backlash, rampant bankruptcies among music retailers, and even a war, but with a fluid strategy, we navigated through it and came out stronger. Its that sort of experience and dedication that we at WhiteCap will use to tackle our clients most challenging business issues."

Prior to joining DCN, Winslett was a Principal in, and General Counsel of, Razor & Tie Entertainment, which he helped transform from a small record label that had been specializing in re-issues of out-of-print recordings into a thriving multi-faceted media company with multiple Gold and Platinum releases. Before that, he practiced law with the Wall Street law firm Thacher Proffitt & Wood. In addition, he managed a successful Congressional campaign and started a profitable import company, both within a year of graduating from college. Winslett graduated with honors from Washington & Lee University and NYU law school. He is married with two children and lives in New York City.

More About ODIN Media Corporation:

ODIN is an Atlanta-based custom digital publishing trailblazer, founded by long-time entertainment marketing executive Bob May. ODINs primary product, the See-D" will revolutionize the way that companies communicate with consumers by providing unprecedented advertising opportunities (or really communication opportunities) on highly-targeted, interactive, optical discs that will be custom published to address critical lifestyle issues - like motherhood, buying a new home, starting a new business, and so on - and will be distributed to consumers right at the moment when they are most motivated to buy.

More About Product Machine:

Product Machine is a copyright clearing and payment service that pays copyright holders for their works downloaded on peer-to-peer file-sharing networks. Uploaders who would normally trade files for free are incentivized to subscribe to digital rights management procedures, market, promote and sell the works they upload in exchange for a cut of the proceeds. Product Machine collects a fee for each transaction.